A Lesson From "The Giving Tree"

Dearest Daughter of Mine,

It still feels weird to say that. It's even crazier to think that in 4 weeks time I will be holding you in my arms. I just finished reading you The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I cannot wait to read books to you and then help you as you learn to read them yourself. This book reminded me of all the people who have given such wonderful gifts to you, like this book for example. I cannot wait to introduce them to you and let each of them meet you. Just like the tree in this book, these friends give and expect nothing in return. They love you that much, and they have not even met you yet!

Like the boy in this book, you will grow up one day, probably move away, and many of these friends you will most likely not speak to again, but still, you can bet that they will be praying for you and thinking of you wherever life's journey takes you. These friends will always be there as a support group, an ear to listen, and a shoulder to cry on. Granted, these are all my friends, but just as my mother's friends are there for me even today, so will my friends be there for you even when you are grown. They will become that stump at the end of the book, a support to lean on and take a break when life becomes too much to handle.

I hope you never forget the value of these friends and the friends you too will make. A good friend is easy to come by, but a great friend who is always there is a rare treasure. My prayer for you, sweet one, is that you find this rare treasure and never let it go. Just as I have friends I cannot live without, just as the boy could not live without the tree, so I hope you too find those friends you cannot live without. God never meant for us to journey this life alone. Remember that always.

Love,
~Your Mommy

Beckoning the Day

I'll write you a lullaby,
a song for the day,
of surfers in the ocean
and children at play,
of a world merry and bright
where angels are common
and fears are slight.
And in this lullaby
I'll sing to you at rest,
I'll hum a little tune of how
God loves and cares for you,
like a mother watching her nest.

This world is so big, my child,
and you're still so small,
but I have faith in the Father
that you'll grow strong and brave
and that through it all
you'll fight your own battles,
though scary they may seem.

For you're never alone, my child,
in a world that seems so big,
you've got me and God,
and the depths of your daydreams
to hold you through the nights
and keep you safe and still.

*To my child, may you always know you're loved, especially by God.
Written on January 17, 2014 while watching the sunset at Thousand Steps Beach, Laguna Beach, CA.

Starting Over

I love to write. My problem is that I find my writing spastic and sporadic at best, so when I decide to post something on a blog I can never decide where to start. Do I start from where I left off a year ago? Do I go back six months ago or just pick up where I am now? As I said, I love to write. I could write you a novel of the last year. The whirlwind of adventures and fun that I have had and the journeys I have taken through life, but is that really what people want to read or what I even want to write about? I cannot decide, so I sit instead staring endlessly at a computer screen hoping the right words will pop into my head so I can quickly jot them down before they are gone. And yet, the words never come. I ramble, yes, but that is just annoying nonsense. I have committed myself these past few months to thinking of what I would like to write about, where to start, and how I want to make the words come across on a computer screen. I cannot really capture emotions, though I wish this were possible in words, but I can start over.

And that is what I have decided to do. I will start over. I will commit this blog as a family blog. Yes, I said family, a family of 2 growing to 3 in a little over 5 weeks. Here I hope to record happenings in our crazy, chaotic life that is about to be filled with more chaos. An "Awful, Beautiful Life" (Darryl Worley) is what I am living here in SoCal where everyday is "Just Another Day in Paradise" (Phil Vassar), and I am grateful for each moment I get to spend with my family. We may be eating chicken and rice and suffering through piles of bills for the rest of our lives, but at least we get to do it all together.